Electric-railway system



No. 625,223. Patented May l6, I899. L. E. WALKINS.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

(Application filed Sept. 27, 1887.) (No Model.)

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UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS E. WALKINS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS TO FRANOKE IV. DICKINSON, OF SAME PLACE, AND GEORGE M. .IEIVETT, OF GLENVILLE, MARYLAND.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTEM SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,223, dated May 16, 1899.

I Application filed September 27, 1897. Serial No. 65 3,109. (No model.)

To (all whom it 777/(by concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS E.WALKI Ns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric- Railway Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in what is known as the third-rail electric-raih way system, the object of the invention being to devise novel and improved means and arrangements whereby the system may be divided up into blocks or sections of any desired lengthfor instance, into quartermiles'and so that the motor-car traveling over the railway will have the current which actuates the motor always passing therethrough, such current passing through that section of the third rail on which the car is traveling, it being dead or inactive in and through the other sections on which no motor- -car is in running contact.

The invention is fully described hereinafter in conjunction with the accompanying drawing and is set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a plan View of the system, showing the usual track-rails, the

0 third-rail section on which the underrunning shoe or trolley is placed for running contact, the third-rail sections insulated one from the other, the feed and return wires running from and back to the generator, means for supply- 5 ing secondary currents as required through the third-rail sections, and means for governing the passage of said currents through the third-rail sections and for cutting out the same.

In the drawing, A A represent the usual car-track rails, and B represents the third-rail sections of suitable length-as, for instance, a thousand feet or a quarter of a mile-separated by the insulation a. Of course it is im- 5 derstood that each third-rail section comprises many lengths of rail endwise joined and bonded; butin the present description the term section is to designate the continuous conductors between the insulations a a.

spring plate or finger.

The third rail may be between the trackrails or at one side thereof on the surface of the road, or it may be located in an underground conduit.

0 represents a dynamo, power-station, or generator, connected to which are the feed 5 5 and return wires D E.

At or adjacent'each insulation a, between the sections B, or at other suitable place for each section B, is a converter G, comprising the inner coil 1) and the surrounding outer 6o coil, to which the said feed and return wireshave connection by the wires 10 10. The ends of the inner coils have the wires 12 and 13 connected thereto and extended to connections with other portions of the system, as will be hereinafter set forth. The track-rails are also insulated, as seen at 'c 0, so that they also are divided into sections insulated one from another corresponding to the third-rail sections.

I provide for each section in the railway an electric switch, (indicated in a general way by the letter H,) the same comprising a disk or rotatable part f of metal or other good conducting material and having in its rim a segment 14 of hard rubber or other insulating material.

grepresents the coacting part of the switch, the same being shown as in the form of a To each of these spring-plates a wire 1' extends and is bonded to the feed-wire D at a point suitably adjacent.

The disk f comprised in the switch is mounted on a suitable shaft or journal f 2 in a stand f or other suitable support,and the Wire j is connected to the stand and through it with the disk f or in any manner in electrical connection with said disk, and also connects or is bonded to the third-rail section corresponding to which the said switch H is 0 provided.

Each track-rail section A at one side of the railway is, by the wire 76, connected with the return-wire E.

Each rotatable switch member f has on its journal-shaft a gear-wheel or pinion f with which meshes the rack-teeth of the bar m, which is suitably supported and guided for a sliding movement through the way 15 therefor in the frame J, which is provided as a part of the controlling mechanism. The frame J supports the. electric motor M, of which 0 represents its shaft.

0 represents a coupling section or sleeve axially bored, as at 16, and fitted for a sliding movement over the inner end of the motor-shafto and having an engagement, as seen at 17, with the circular flanged end of the rack-bar 791, so that the coupling-section 0 may rotate as one with the motor-shaft without rotatingthe rack-bar or having its rotation interfered with by the rack-bar, and also so that while it rotates in unison with the motor-shaft it may move axially relatively thereto or telescope thereon.

L represents a governor, the armslS 18 of which are pivoted to suitable lugs or projections therefor affixed on the motor-shaft, while the link members 19, which are connected to the weighted arms 18 18, are also pivotally connected to the sliding sleeve-section 0 1) indicates the spring interposed between the section 0 forming part of the governor, which is movable, and a suitable shoulder or abutment therefor, against the compression of which the part 0 telescopes as the governor-arms become opened under an acceler-.

ating centrifugal force as generated by the rotation of the shaft of the motor M.

Of the aforementioned wires 12 and 13, continued from the ends of the inner coil of the converter, the one'12 extends to connection with the track-rail A at one side of the railway, while the other 13 extends to connection with and is the feed-wire for the motor M.

The outward wire or return-wire from the mo-,

tor is indicated at 11 and extends to connection with one of the track-rails opposite the one to which the wire 13 has connection.

The electric-railway system which has been thus described as to its components or details comprises primary circuits which may be established through a third-rail section and the car-motor as the car comes thereupon by reason of the car automatically serving to operate secondary circuits which actuate the switches to establish circuits, and the manner of the establishing of these circuits will be now pointed out, it being understood that the passage of the dynamo-current through the feed-wire, through the outer coils of the converter, generates and induces secondary current in the inner coil of the converter in a circuit whichremains open until closed by the presence of the car on the adjacent tracksection. Therefore it will be explained that so soon as the car-wheels come upon the trackrails of a given section a'circuit is established from the one terminal of the inner coil of the converter through the wire 12 to the trackrail at one side, through the wheels and axle to the trackrail at the otherside, through the wire 11 and the wire 13 to and from the motor M, and back to the inner coil of the converter. This secondary current is sufficient to quickly start up the motor M, setting the governor H flying and spreading against the spring thereof, and insures the endwise movement of the rack-bar m, which causes the switch member f to be in electrical contact with the switch plate or finger g, thus closing the switch; and now it is seen that a primary dynamo-current is established from the linewire D through conductor 2' and the switch members g and f, and thence through the conductor j to the third-rail section correspondin g to the one closed by the said switch. This current, it will be understood, is completed by passing through the third-rail section, through the nnderrunnin g trolley on the car, thence to and through the motor, and by way of the axle and one of the car-wheels through the track-rail, and by the bonded wire is to the return-wire E, by which it returns to the generator 0.

The motor M, which may be comparatively small, light, and inexpensive and which is supplied for each section in the system, is started the instant the motor-car comes upon the section corresponding to the switch H therefor, in conjunction with which the motor and its governor operate. The governor-arms continue to revolve during the time the car is on the section, so that the rack-bar F has its position as drawn toward the motor, whereby the switch remains closed; but immediately the car passes oif from the section in question, whereupon the circuit for the secondary current comes open, the motor stops, and the spring applied in the governor device insures the return of the rack-bar to its normal position, so turning the disk f that the circuit for the primary or dynamo current is also open.

I claim-- I. In an electric-railway system, the combination with the usual track-rails and a series of third-rail'sections separated by insulation, of a dynamo or generator and a feed Wire running therefrom along the railway and a suitable return-conductor, an electric switch provided to correspond to each third-rail section, an electric conductor connecting the feed-wire with one member of each switch and a second conductor connecting the other member of.'the switch with the adjacent third-rail section, normally open secondary circuits corresponding to each third-rail section, but independent and without connection therewith, deriving induced currents from the feed-wire and comprising a motor, and adapted to be closed by the presence of a motor-car over a given section, and mechanism between the motor and switch for closing the switch when the motor runs, by reason of said secondary current, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 7

2. In an electric-railway system, the combination with the usual track-rails and a series of third-rail sections, of a dynamo or generator and a feed-wire running therefrom along the railway and a suitable return-conductor, an electric switch, provided to correspond to each third-rail section, an electric conductor connecting the feed-wire with one member of each switch and a second conductor connecting the other member of the switch with the adjacent third -rail section, normally open secondary circuits for each section deriving induced currents from the feed-wire and comprising a motor, and adapted to be closed by the presence of a car on the given section, a centrifugal governor operated by the motor and comprising a sliding member which operates the switch, substantially as described.

3. In an electric-railway or other system, the combination with an electric switch, of an electric motor, circuit-conductors comprisin g same, a centrifugal governor, operated by the motor when the said circuit for the motor is closed, a movable member of said governor an electric switch comprising a rotary mov able part having a gear thereon, and a contact plate or finger, provided to correspond to each third-rail section, an electric conductor connecting the feed-wire with one member of each switch and a second conductor connecting the other member of the switch with the adjacent third-rail section, normally open, secondary circuits for each section deriving induced currents from the feed-wire and comprising a motor, and adapted to be closed by the presence of a car on the given section, a centrifugal governor operated by the motor and comprising a sliding member, a rack-bar operated by the sliding governor member and meshing said gear, substantially as described.

5. In an electric-railway system, the combination with usual track-rails insulated into sections, and a corresponding series of thirdrail sections, of the generator and feed-wire, and a suitable return-conductor, a converter provided at each section, the primary coil of which is connected to said feed-wire and return-conductors, an electric switch provided to correspond with each section, an electric conductor connecting the feed-wire with one member of each switch, and another conductor connecting the other member of each switch with its appropriate third-rail section, electrically-actuated means for operating said switch comprising conductors which are independent of the third-rail sections and are connected with the secondary coil of said converter which is in a normally open secondary circuit adapted to be closed by the presence of the car on the track-rails, permitting the secondary circuit to effect the closing of the switch, then and thereby establishing the primary' circuit through the third-rail section.

6. In an electric-railway system incombination, the track-rail sections, the corresponding third-rail section suitably insulated each from the next, a dynamo or generator, alinewire running from and fed by the dynamo, along the railway and having a return-conductor, an electric switch provided for adjacent each section, a conductor extending from the feed-wire to one member of the switch and a second conductor running from the other member of the switch to connection with the adjacent third-rail section, a motor adjacent each switch and a centrifugal governor operated by the motor and in turn operating the switch, a series of converters, the primary coils of which are connected with the feed and return wires, a wire connecting one end of a secondary coil with one of the track-rails, another wire connecting the other end of the secondary coil to the motor, a conductor connecting the motor with the other track-rail and a wire connecting each track-section with the main return-wire, substantially as described.

7. In an electric-railway system, the combi nation with the usual track-rails insulated into sections and a corresponding series of third-rail sections, of a dynamo or generator Y and a feedwire running therefrom along the railway and a suitable return-conductor, an electric switch provided to correspond to each third-rail section, an electric conductor con= necting the feed -wire with one member of each switch and a second conductor connecting the other member of the switch with the adjacent third-rail section, normally open circuit-conductors independent of the third-rail sections having connected therein an electric motor and comprising a source of electrical energy for such circuit and adapted to be closed by the presence of a car on the track-rails ofa given section, and mechanism between the motor and switch for operating the switch when the motor runs, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 10th day of September, 1897.

. LOUIS E. WALKINS.

\Vitnesses:

WM. S. BELLows,

M. A. CAMPBELL.

IIO 

